Creamy Ground Chicken Pasta
How to make ground chicken taste amazing as the star of a creamy sauce for pasta. Possibly the most luxurious transformation of the lean protein and it cooks in a matter of minutes.
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 737kcal
Equipment
- 1 deep frying pan, 12 inch diameter is ideal, to cook the ground chicken sauce and hold the added pasta
- 1 pasta pot
- 1 colander
Ingredients
Ground Chicken Creamy Sauce
- 2 lbs ground chicken meat (chicken mince)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 tsp onion powder
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream*
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese or Pecorino, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
Al Dente Pasta
- 1 lbs pasta (short or long noodles)*
- ½ tablespoon olive oil, optional, if you make pasta in advance
Instructions
Ground Chicken Creamy Sauce
- Over medium-high heat add the olive oil to the pan and when shimmering saute the minced garlic just until fragrant.
- Immediately add the ground chicken and begin to break it up with a wooden spoon. Season with the red pepper flakes, onion powder, kosher salt and black pepper. Mix well and consider breaking up the chicken further with a potato masher or continue with the wooden spoon. Allow it to brown.
- In about 2 minutes or when the chicken is nicely browned, add the heavy cream and the grated Parmesan or Pecorino. Stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium-low.
- Allow the creamy ground chicken sauce to simmer for about 2-3 minutes so it can thicken.
- Add the al dente pasta and stir to coat well in the sauce.
- Garnish with parsley and some more grated cheese and serve.
Al Dente Pasta
- Cook the pasta of your choice according to the package instructions.**
Notes
If you do not have a large (12 inch) and deep frying pan as we use here, use a large pot or even a Dutch oven or a braiser. The ground chicken will cook just fine and you will have plenty of room for the pasta once you add it.
*Do not replace the heavy cream with half and half. The ground chicken sauce relies on the richness and fat content of heavy creamy to develop its luxurious noodle coating capabilities and delicious flavor. It also thickens just right without need of a slurry or adding flour to the base.
** Use 1 lb dry pasta. Cook the pasta al dente, according to the package instructions of the type of noodle you are using. Either do so simultaneously with making the ground chicken cream sauce, on a neighboring stove ring, OR, cook the pasta just beforehand, drain it, coat it with a bit of olive oil so it will not stick to the pot and keep it warm with the lid closed while you make the sauce.
NOTE: The nutritional information is provided as courtesy only and may not be absolutely accurate. Assumes that ¼ lb of dry pasta is included in each serving, cooked.
Nutrition
Calories: 737kcal | Carbohydrates: 73.4g | Protein: 28.9g | Fat: 40.2g | Saturated Fat: 11.5g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 1271mg | Potassium: 988mg | Fiber: 6.1g | Sugar: 10.6g | Calcium: 379mg | Iron: 5mg
